Tecticornia pruinosa

Spreading shrub to c. 50 cm high. Articles of ultimate branches obovoid, 3–8 mm long, dull, grey-green; lobes obtuse or rounded, margins entire or minutely dentate. Spikes terminal (rarely vegetative growth continuing beyond fertile part), to 3 cm long (in Victoria); opposite bracts united, margins entire; flowers free; perianth dorsiventrally flattened at apex. Fruiting spike often long persistent; fruiting perianth thinly spongy, pericarp thinly crustaceous in upper part, membranous or absent near base; seed obliquely ovoid, flattened, 1–1.5 mm long, usually falling enclosed in perianth, testa thin, pale brown, faintly granular dorsally and near apex. Flowers mainly during winter.